MIND YOUR TEETH : Avoid soft drinks to save your teeth from erosion

What you need to know:

  • There are many adverts trying to lure people out there, saying that taking the drinks is fun; that it comes with happiness. Then, there are different expressions such as fact of life, winning mantra, living mantra, the way you should, and so on.
  • But these carbonated/aerated soft drinks can lead to, not only oral but also general health problems.

Different names are used to describe the carbonated/aerated, sugary cold drinks which are available in various flavours and different brand names. It is commonly called “soda” or “soft drink” or “vinywaji baridi” in Kiswahili.
There are many adverts trying to lure people out there, saying that taking the drinks is fun; that it comes with happiness. Then, there are different expressions such as fact of life, winning mantra, living mantra, the way you should, and so on.
But these carbonated/aerated soft drinks can lead to, not only oral but also general health problems.
Soft drinks and packed juices are very common and easily available dietary sources today.
They are consumed by most of us anytime in a day or many times in a day and once consumed, the acidic sugar products that are produced soften the enamel of our teeth.
Enamel is the outer most layer of the tooth which is also supposed to be hardest and most highly mineralised substance in human body.
The so-called soft drinks contribute to the formation of cavities on the tooth surface and also can cause erosion of the enamel layer leading to tooth sensitivity.
In certain cases, this affected enamel caused by soft drinks when coupled with inefficient and improper brushing of teeth; and poor oral hygiene, may lead to the gum disease and tooth loss.
Because of the high sugar, sodium and caffeine content in soda, it dehydrates the body and over a long period of time can cause chronic dehydration.
However, the sugar-free drinks are also not very safe as the acidic potential can still cause problems like dehydration and enamel loss, but they are less harmful in comparison.  It appears that increased soft drink consumption is a major factor that contributes to obesity, kidney damage, osteoporosis, elevated blood pressure (on regular use).
Soft drinks also have long been suspected of lowering calcium levels and higher phosphate levels in the blood.
When phosphate levels are high and calcium levels are low, calcium is pulled out of the bones, which causes weakening of the bones.
Soft drink consumption has increased dramatically across the world, especially among children and teenagers.
Everyone, in spite of their age and gender can benefit from reducing the number of soft drinks they consume.
Beverages containing less sugar and acid such as water, milk and 100 percent pure fruit juice, fresh juice is better and safer.
Encourage such drinks at home, especially for children and you will get immense benefits
Never take soft drinks on an empty stomach as they may harm the inner lining of the stomach.
Ask your dentist about fluoride application in the form of a foam, gel or rinse, which can be done for all age groups.
Make sure that after consuming a soft drink, you flush your mouth with water to remove acids and save tooth from getting exposed to acids for too long.  Since, fluoride reduces cavities and strengthens tooth enamel, so brush with fluoride-containing toothpaste.
Also, rinsing with a fluoride mouthwash can help. Your dentist can recommend a higher fluoride containing toothpaste depending on the severity of the problem.